outline, will appear as an evil and a public
stigma, to be removed at any risk or cost.

As it is impossible, in the present state of
things, to remove the mother from the factory,
the point to which, attention must be concentrated,
is to the means of providing the safest
custody for her infant during her absence.
The solicitude with which maternal duties
are discharged, cannot perhaps be hired at
any cost from a stranger; yet, as we shall
show, a well regulated system of nursing,
under scientific and other responsible
supervision, may supply all the physical requisites
of which infancy stands in need. Motherly
tenderness cannot, perhaps, be guaranteed at
so much per kiss, but a judicious selection of
experienced and well-disposed nurses, under
the control of ladies' committees, may be
safely relied upon to provide all that is
positively necessary to the health of
unconscious infancy.

Some few years ago, M. Marbeau, who is
known to political students as the author of
various works on political economy, was
employed by the civil authorities of France
to report on the state of the infant schools of
Paris. He pursued his investigations with
enthusiasm. He saw how well the state
provided for children from two to six years old;
how admirably the primary schools for more
advanced children worked, and finally the
national gratuitous adult classes abounded,
where the poorest—the pauper and the workman—
might acquire sound and invigorating
knowledge.

This admirable machinery struck him,
however, as being essentially and radically
defective. It provided for the mental growth
of children above two years old; but where
was the provision for the first two years of
existence? In whose hands were the infants
of those poor women who were employed from
home throughout the day? His investigations
into this matter, disclosed a system of
infant training that sufficiently accounted for
the large proportion of deaths amongst the
children of the poor. He forthwith submitted
to the authorities a scheme for the establishment
of crèches (or cribs) in, the different
suburbs of Paris. These institutions were to
be Day-Nurseries for the children of the poor.
With the help of a few charitably-disposed
individuals, M. Marbeau; opened the first
public crèche, which he describes in his work
on the subject:—*

* We quote the passage as we find it translated, by a lady,
in an interesting pamphlet, entitled Day Nurseries

"The superior of the Soeurs de la Sagesse
provided, near the house of refuge, which is
under her care, a, very humble place, but
which sufficed for our first attempt. This
place was put at our disposal on the 8th, and
on the 18th of November our crèche was
opened. Its furniture consisted of a very
few chairs, some baby chairs, a crucifix, and a
framed copy of the rules of the establishment.
The cost of its fitting up was barely three
hundred and sixty francs (nearly fifteen pounds).
At first there were but eight cradles; but
charity soon furnished means sufficient for
twelve; and linen was plentifully supplied.

"The superintending committee chose two
nurses amongst the poor women out of work;
both were mothers, and worthy the confidence
of other mothers. Agreeably to the rules
laid down, the committee refused to admit
any other children but. those whose mothers
were poor, well conducted, and who had work
at a distance from their own homes. At first
there were scarcely twelve children, but this
number was soon exceeded. When the
Crèche St. Louis d'Antin was opened, there
was not one single child registered there; a
week afterwards there were six candidates,
and a month after that, eighteen. They were
obliged to enlarge it. There can be nothing
more interesting, than the sight of this little
crèche between two and three o'clock, when
the mothers come and suckle their children
for the second time in the day; they seem so
pleased to embrace their little ones, to rest
from their work, and to bless the institution
which procures them so many benefits. One
of them used to pay seventy-five centimes
(sevenpence-halfpenny) a day—half her own
earnings—and the child was badly attended
to; she now only pays twenty (twopence),
and he as well taken care of as the child of a
rich man. Another kept her little boy, eight
years old, from school, to look after the baby,
and now he is able to attend school regularly.
Another is pleased to tell you that her
husband has become less brutal since she paid
ten sous less for her child—ten sous a day
make such a. difference in a poor family.

"There is another, who was only confined
a fortnight ago, suckling her new-born child.
She is asked, how she would have done without the crèche?

"'Ah! Sir, it would have been as it was
with his poor brother. I sell apples, and can
scarcely earn fifteen sous a day; I could not
spare fourteen to have him looked after.
Poor little fellow! he died when he was fourteen
months old, from want of care. Oh, Sir,
my little angel would have been living now,
if there, had been a crèche six months ago! '"

M. Marbeau's experiment has been adopted
in various parts of France and Germany,
with uniform success. In Paris these day
nurseries open every morning at half-past five,
and close every evening at half-past eight—
that is, they open half-an-hour before the
time at which work is usually commenced in
Paris, and close half-an-hour after the time
at which work is generally over for the
day. The children are required to be under
two years of age, and the offspring of poor
and well conducted parents. No child is
admitted till it has been vaccinated, or while
it is ill. This latter cause of exclusion
declares the infancy of the institution.
Day-nurseries without an infirmary or sick ward
attached to them, can be only a partial boon